Wednesday, February 8, 2012

a few small changes

i came across the environmental working group's website last year. after about fifteen minutes reading through it i went on a rampage through my house tossing bottles of shampoo and cleaning supplies. there is always more we can change to make our homes healthier (i'll get into that a different day) but it really doesn't take much to change what we put on our skin. the rule of thumb is if you wouldn't eat it, it shouldn't go on your skin. i haven't gone that far but there are a few products that are pretty well rated on the ewg's skin deep i've been using for the last six months or so that i thought i'd share.

i grew up in california and was never really told (sorry mom) how important it is to wear sunscreen. my friends and i would ride our bike to the beach after school and douse ourselves with hawaiian tropic. i'm definitely paying for it now! i've used many sunscreens but a facialist recommended the suntegrity line. it smells delicious and has no oxybenzone. for elodie, i use badger baby sunscreen. it takes a bit of elbow grease to rub in but that means it's working, right?

it's scary what is in a normal deodorant and i am definitely one of those people who need it. after a lot of trial and error trying crystals, lush natural bars, and sprays i have found the best deodorants are alba botanicals, tom's and hugo's natural. i am still partial to weleda's sage deodorant which doesn't have the biggest culprit, aluminum, but it still is a bit questionable.

i made the switch a long time ago to the dr. bronner line for bath washes. it is a southern california company (he lived down the street from us growing up) well known for his eccentric bottles of castile soaps. during the winter i usually get a big bottle of the eucalyptus wash and during the summer i'll get rose, peppermint or lavender. you'll end up reading the bottle for many other reasons besides the ingredients. i also love burt's bees milk & shea butter body wash.

for elodie's bath we use california baby (and sometimes burt's bees) especially the calendula bubble bath and calming shampoo. i also highly recommend dr. bronner's baby wash. toddlers love to wash, wash, wash and so i have a cute dispenser full of this for her.

the upside to researching what you use is that you won't be tempted to buy things randomly in sephora. knowing what you are putting on your body, really understanding that it can affect you in the long run, can help you from having the drawers upon drawers of half filled bottles of shampoo, lotion, and makeup (or at least this is what i tell myself.) so far it's working!

28 comments:

I am on the exact same page as you! It's downright scary what's in many beauty products. Today, there is such a wide variety of natural products available. I can spend hours in the beauty aisle at whole foods!I'm still on the hunt for the perfect healthy shampoo/conditioner. Have you had any luck?

I just left a comment below about shampoo/conditioner and then I read your comment :) I highly recommend Jason's lavender shampoo and conditioner! Whole Foods isle... about $5 a bottle. I LOVE it.. never going back :)

I just recently made the exact same change - and use coconut oil as my moisturizer too... its amazing! Plus it tastes awesome in case you get a little on your lips :) Another great line to check out is Jason's.. I use their shampoo & conditioner and you can get it at Whole Foods. Only runs about $5 a bottle. Thanks so much for sharing this! I really hope the health awareness of in-home products catches wave soon.. parabons among other things are some scary stuff!

Great post! Another terrific deodorant is Soapwalla cream deodorant. You apply like like lotion, which is a bit strange, but it works really well. And Tata Harper's products - while a bit pricey - are grogeous and completely pure.

there are some wonderful all natural lines at sephora. my sister in law is the buyer for that part of the company, actually. brands like LAVANILA are leading the way and make the best 100% healthy deodorant and sunscreen that i love. they have a great baby line too. http://sephora.com/browse/section.jhtml?categoryId=C22420 ok this is starting to sound like spam, its not! hehe. great post, i love learning about new good-for-me products.

Thank you for sharing this! We are definitely making a more conscience effort around here lately... and i've been wondering about skin care. Just wondering...did you cloth diaper Elodie? If yes, can you share about this as well? thanks!

I am in complete shock..i thought we were doing so good.... I checked all the brands that we are using (they are all advertised as save!!! all from health food stores) and most of them are listed in the moderate section (mostly the lower end but still i was not expecting it).. .my deodorant that i have been using for countless number of years even though it really DOES NOT work that good is nowhere near the safe zone......the toothpaste , all the house cleaning products etc.. well all i can say thank you for pointing this out to us... i will be making some changes soon...

thankyou for posting this, im now in the process of finding the better and safer products out for my family. Just curious about perfume, which one do you use? it seems that the ones I have are not the safest...

http://www.theorganicskinstore.com/products/lavera-basis-sensitiv-deodorant-spray-75ml Lavera deodorant spray is pricey but the only one I've found that really REALLY works, as well as chemically ones. And smells lovely.

this sounds absolutely disgusting but i just stopped using antiperspirant/deodorant because it never felt "right" having aluminum in it! ah! i know it hasn't specifically been traced to cancers but it can't be great for you. i like the idea of if you can eat it, you can use it. my best friend always said that and i thought she was a nut for a while but now i understand the importance. thanks for these suggestions! i am always looking for ways to minimize chemicals in my life and live a more natural lifestyle-- even if it is a little at a time. and i too would NEVER wear sunscreen-- my friend and i actually used coconut oil to tan with. natural but not too smart!

i love this! i've been trying to make these changes here and there, too. i threw out all my lip glosses and lipsticks that had parabens, bought chemical free sunscreen, all the things like that! it's so scary what we buy and put on our bodies without a second thought. i'm glad there's more awareness of it these days! the only horrible thing i keep debating is my anti-antiperspirant. it's horrible, i know. but ew, i hate armpit sweat!

i think targeting one or two things that feel like the most important changes to make rather than feeling overwhelmed by all the changes you feel like you 'should' make. i live in southern california and don't like to wear hats or long sleeves so i just can't skimp on sunscreen.

Agreed. :) I actually just ordered the Alba Botanicals deodorant. I'll start small. I also live in California and like you, was raised ling out on tinfoil with baby oil slathered on my skin! Thanks for the post.

We've been making our little changes as well and just a note on the organic coconut oil... we love it! And use it for just about everything: moisiturizer, hair, cooking and just eating it raw. Jojoba oil was a recent revelation to us for skin and hair as well :)